TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy each had two long touchdown runs and career rushing highs Saturday night to lead the No. 2 University of Alabama football team to a 41-0 victory against North Texas.
Richardson scored three times — including a 58-yarder and a career-long 71-yarder — and had most of his 167 yards on the two long ones to help the Crimson Tide (3-0) race into its showdown against No. 14 Arkansas. He had 24 yards at halftime against the Mean Green (0-3) and the nation”s 117th-rated defense.
Lacy scored on runs of 43 and 67 yards and gained 161 yards.
They are the first Crimson Tide duo to top 150 yards in the same game.
Alabama recorded its first shutout since a 45-0 victory against Chattanooga on Nov. 21, 2009, thanks to a blocked field goal by Robert Lester and a goal line stand in the final minutes.
The Crimson Tide racked up 347 yards rushing and outgained North Texas 586-91.
Despite the big runs, Alabama”s physical, aggressive defense set the tone against a team that is now 1-42 against ranked opponents and is off to its fourth 0-3 start in five years. North Texas had 25 yards and one first down in the opening half and only crossed midfield twice. Leading rusher Lance Dunbar gained 16 yards on 17 carries.
Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron, meanwhile, completed 15 of 21 passes for 190 yards before giving way to backup Philip Sims in the fourth quarter — and part of the second.
The running backs didn”t steal the show until the second half.
Richardson ran his season total to eight touchdowns while he and Lacy together averaged 16.4 yards on 20 carries.
The game went from dominating to downright ugly in a 15-minute span, starting with Richardson”s 58-yarder down the left sideline in the third quarter. Lacy then burst untouched through the line on the only play of a drive early in the fourth to reach the final margin.
Despite the lopsided score and wire-to-wire domination, there was plenty for Tide coach Nick Saban to find fault with ahead of the Crimson Tide”s biggest test so far against fellow Southeastern Conference Western contender Arkansas.
Alabama”s offense dominated between the 20s but stalled several times in the red zone. The Tide had to settle for two field goals by Jeremy Shelley plus two missed attempts.
North Texas also racked up four sacks and recovered fumbles by both Tide quarterbacks.
All that only made a cosmetic difference on the scoreboard and gave Saban some teaching points after a third straight easy win.
The Crimson Tide scored on its first four possessions with McCarron picking apart a defense that allowed 563 passing yards to Houston last week. The defense, on the other hand, dominated throughout.
Alabama outgained North Texas 282-25 in the first half. Lacy scored on his 43-yarder run, and Richardson scored on a comparably mundane 4-yarder.
Alabama has scored at least 17 first-half points in seven straight games.
Alabama wide receiver Darius Hanks made his season debut after sitting out the first two games under the NCAA”s redshirt rule. He had two catches for 20 yards.
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